ICG Report: Radical parties threaten Pakistan’s fragile democracy: Religious intolerance, sectarian violence and radical Islamic parties threaten to undermine the democratic reforms on which Pakistan’s stability depends. Islamic Parties in Pakistan , the latest International Crisis Group report, examines the internal workings, policies and agendas of these

Controversial Chief Justice of Pakistan assumes executive authority; challenges the attorney-client privilege – by Aamir Mughal and Sarah Khan: Adapted from: Aamir Mughal’s blog Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, controversial Chief Justice of Pakistan, today created a new chapter in Pakistan’s history by assuming the executive authority of the federal government and also objecting to the attorney-client privilege. Pakistan’s

In a democratic system, the primacy of the elected institutions and leaders should be respected. – by Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi: Beyond the executive-judiciary crisis The executive-judiciary crisis has another dimension with implications for the future of democracy in Pakistan. This can also be viewed as an attempt by a non-elected state institution, i.e. the judiciary, to restrict the role

Did the match between President Zardari and CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry end in a draw?: Here are two thought provoking articles on this topic. The first one is by Zafar Hilaly in Daily Times, and the second is by Cyril Almeida writing in Dawn. The game not worth the candle — by Zafar Hilaly

Judiciary, executive on collision course? – by Cyril Almeida and Saleem Safi: Here are two articles on this topic by Cyril Almeida and Saleem Safi. Legally speaking By Cyril Almeida Lawyers tend to complicate things. Ask them to describe the colour red and soon you’ll be hearing about ‘vermilion’, ‘burnt sienna’

“The judge raj” in Pakistan is paving way for another military dictatorship: …Our lordships may be cautioned about the possibility that judicial activism sometimes runs the risk of intruding on turf strictly belonging in our constitutional scheme of things to other institutions of state. In the post-judiciary restoration era, the respect

Supreme Court of Pakistan must refrain from interfering into the executive authority of the democratic government: The decision by the mostly Punjabi, some of them pro-Taliban, judges in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the process of national reconciliation in the country has had a visibly adverse impact on the capacity of the democratic government.